Pallava script

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Pallava script
'Pallava' in Pallava script
Script type	Abugida
Time period	4th century CE to 8th century CE[1]
Direction	Left-to-right
Languages	Tamil, Old Khmer, Old Malay, Burmese, Thai, Sri Lankan Sinhala, Lao, Mon, Balinese, etc.
Related scripts
Parent systems	Egyptian hieroglyphs Proto-Sinaitic Pheonician Aramaic Brahmi Tamil-Brahmi Pallava script
Child systems	Tamil, Grantha, Mon-Burmese, Khmer, Cham, Kawi
Sister systems	Vatteluttu
This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between [ ], / / and ⟨ ⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.

The Pallava script or Pallava Grantha is a Brahmic script named after the Pallava dynasty of Southern India (Tamilakam) and is attested to since the 4th century CE. In India, the Pallava script evolved from Tamil-Brahmi.^[2] The Grantha script originated from the Pallava script.^[3] Pallava also spread to Southeast Asia and evolved into scripts such as Balinese,^[4] Baybayin,^[5] Javanese,^[6] Kawi,^[7] Khmer,^[8] Lanna,^[9] Lao,^[10] Mon–Burmese,^[11] New Tai Lue,^[12] Sundanese,^[13] and Thai.^[14] This script is the sister of the Vatteluttu script which was used to write Tamil and Malayalam in the past.^[15]

Epigrapher Arlo Griffiths argues that the name of the script is misleading as not all of the relevant scripts referred to have a connection with the Pallava dynasty. He instead advocates that these scripts be called Late Southern Brāhmī scripts.^[1]

During the rule of Pallavas, the script accompanied priests, monks, scholars, and traders into Southeast Asia. Pallavas developed the Pallava script based on the Tamil-Brahmi. The main characteristics of the newer script are aesthetically matched and fuller consonant glyphs. Similar to Pallava script, also visible in the writing systems of Chalukya,^[16] Kadamba, and Vengi at the time of Ikshvakus. Brahmi's design was slightly different from the scripts of Cholas, Pandyas, and Cheras. Pallava script was the first significant development of Brahmi in India, combining rounded and rectangular strokes and adding typographical effects, and was suitable for civic and religious inscriptions. Kadamba-Pallava script^[17] evolved into early forms of Kannada and Telugu scripts. Glyphs become more rounded and incorporate loops because of writing upon leaves and paper.^[17]

The script is not yet a part of Unicode but proposals have been made to include it. In 2018, Anshuman Pandey made a proposal.^[18]

The form shown here is based on examples from the 7th century CE. Letters labeled * have uncertain sound value, as they have little occurrence in Southeast Asia.

Each consonant has an inherent /a/, which will be sounded if no vowel sign is attached. If two consonants follow one another without intervening vowel, the second consonant is made into a subscript form, and attached below the first.

ka	kha	ga	gha	nga
ca	cha	ja	jha*	nya
ṭa	ṭha*	ḍa	ḍha*	ṇa
ta	tha	da	dha	na
pa	pha	ba	bha	ma
ya	ra	la	va
śa	ṣa	sa	ha

a	ā	i	ī	u	e	o	ai*	au*

A proposal to encode the script in Unicode was submitted in 2018.^[18]

• Sivaramamurti, C, Indian Epigraphy and South Indian Scripts. Bulletin of the Madras Government Museum. Chennai 1999

• Media related to Pallava script at Wikimedia Commons